Vineland principal is facing charges

VINELAND — A Fairfield man and his daughter were arrested in connection with alleged forged time sheets for home instruction from the Cunningham Alternative School Tuesday, police said.

Principal of the school, John L. Sammons, 60, and his daughter, Tracy N. Sammons, 24, both of Reeves Road, were charged with the following offenses:

Official misconduct, pattern of official misconduct, theft by deception and tampering with public records, according to a press release from Vineland Police Department.

Both were released pending a court date.

The arrests came after a one-month investigation conducted by Vineland Police Department's Detective Bureau.

Police found Sammons had allegedly been submitting time sheets fraudulently, requesting payments "for giving home instruction to students," the press release read.

After making a discovery that Sammons was one of the highest paid district employees, Vineland Public Schools administration became suspicious.

"He had a sizable extra income in addition to his reported $111,000 salary," the press release continued.

Sammons and his daughter were under surveillance, and it was found that, for a long period of time, both were discovered not giving instruction on the majority of the time submitted for payment.

John and Tracy Sammons were both assigned to give home instruction to Vineland Public School students.

Details of the home instruction provided by Vineland's school board indicated required students absent for five days (usually long term illness or suspension) to get 2 hours of instruction in the home, school or other suitable place.

An assigned teacher is paid $25 per hour, per student; several students may be taught simultaneously.